Chief of Global Appeals and Reports Section

H (no hardship)

Family Type

Family

Family Type

Family

Residential location (if applicable)

Grade

PR5

Staff Member / Affiliate Type

Professional

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

Remote work accepted

No

Target Start Date

2023-11-30

Job Posting End Date

December 21, 2023

Standard Job Description

Chief of Global Appeals and Reports Section

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Chief of Global Appeals and Reports Section leads in coordinating and developing the Office’s resource mobilization communications for donors and other key stakeholders through its flagship publications, the annual Global Appeal and Global Report, as well as through the Global Focus operational reporting website (https://reporting.unhcr.org).

Within the Office of the Director of the Division of External Relations (DER), the Chief of Global Appeals and Reports Section has overall responsibility for designing and coordinating the flagship publications’ content and structure, the production process, and in overseeing the design, development, maintenance, and content on Global Focus. The Chief of Section also provides conceptual, editorial and design leadership for other reports such as on UNHCR’s use of flexible funding, on underfunding, and supporting the finalization of supplementary and other appeals for emergency fundraising.

Given the nature of these reports as flagship products, coordination and liaison is critical in this role. The incumbent must work across the breadth of the organization but in particular with the Division of Strategic Planning and Results (DSPR), the regional bureaux, and Governance Service to achieve quality content and style, smooth production processes and timely publication of donor appeals and reports. Donor focal points – in both Donor Relations and Resource Mobilisation (DRRM) and Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) – are a critical set of interlocutors, with the incumbent maintaining close contact with them to ascertain donor needs and feedback and folding those reflections into reporting products as possible. S/he also negotiates and concludes contracts with external parties, determines the design and layout for each publication and sets publishing standards and printing deadlines.

The incumbent supervises a team of six staff: five professionals and one general service staff, as well as the work of external designers and printers and French translators during the production of the publications. In addition, the Section employs one Refugee UNV, and regularly recruits interns.

The incumbent represents DER, as required, in internal and external forums as requested by the Director. These may include forums related to donor and other key stakeholder communications, and on subjects related to reporting, visibility, advocacy, and the use of data and the application of and new planning, monitoring and assessment tools, in particular the application of COMPASS.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties

Global Appeals and Reports

• Lead the production of the Global Appeal and Global Report as UNHCR’s main accountability, advocacy and reporting tools for donors and other key stakeholders to the highest levels of quality (in English and in French). Ensure the inclusion of content that satisfies the needs of donors and other major stakeholders, including private sector partners and UNHCR staff.
• Lead and coordinate the design, content selection, editing and production of high-quality publications that satisfy the evolving information needs of donors and other key stakeholders and are aligned with UNHCR’s strategic communications and digital engagement, through the following:
• Maintain and develop the Global Focus, ensuring it continues to evolve to provide donors with up-to-date, detailed information on operational planning and developments throughout the year.
• Collaborate closely with DSPR to conceptualize the flagship reports’ contents in line with COMPASS; integrate COMPASS structure and results-based planning and reporting into the reports, and into Global Focus.
• Organize and coordinate with DRRM and Governance Service of annual UNHCR pledging conference for official launch of Global Appeal.
• Coordinate the launch of Global Report and Global Trends, including design and coordination of messaging with the Executive Office, Global Communications Service, and Global Data Service.
• Provide guidance to DRRM donor focal points and regional focal points and others directly involved in preparing inputs for the Global Appeals and Reports, Global Focus, and other advocacy and resource mobilization products; and maintain liaison with them to ensure donor needs and feedback are included in reporting products as possible.

Global Focus

• Maintain and develop Global Focus as UNHCR’s primary operational reporting platform for donors.
• Manage the transformation of the Global Appeals and Reports away from a print-focused product to one that is designed to be digital for Global Focus.
• Oversee improved integration of UNHCR data (population, financial) into Global Focus from other UNHCR sources (Refugee Data Finder, Cloud ERP).
• Coordinate with other web platforms (data portals, Refugee Data Finder, UNHCR.org, other platforms) to gain efficiencies, and reduce complexities, costs and duplication.

Other reports

• Lead the production of annual Report on Flexible Funding.
• Lead the production of reports on underfunding of UNHCR operations.
• Finalize the supplementary and emergency appeals in coordination with DER Emergencies and External Engagement Unit.
• Ensure the quality of communications prepared for UNHCR’s donors and other key stakeholders is continuously reviewed, reporting formats are redesigned and adjusted as required, and staff are capacitated to edit to a high standard (in English and/or French).
• Liaise with the DER Digital Service and Global Data Service to ensure the presentation of information and data across UNHCR’s websites and products is coordinated, easily accessible and understandable.

Management

• Manage the Global Appeals and Reports team.
• Establish conditions of service for external editors and translators that are consistent with current standards and rates for such professional services.
• Oversee and coordinate the selection, terms of reference and conditions of service, and the performance and delivery of products and services by external partners, including design, layout and printing if/as needed for the main documents (Global Appeals and Reports), and translation.

Other duties

• Perform other duties within DER including, for example, divisional planning or involvement in divisional strategies.
• Represent the Director in relevant forums such as on reporting, or the use of data and statistics.
• Lead risk assessments and discussions with team(s) to proactively manage risks and seize opportunities impacting objectives. Ensure that risk management principles are integrated in decision-making both at strategic and operational levels. Allocate resources for planned treatments with resource requirements in Strategic Plans. Ensure that risks are managed to acceptable levels and escalate, as needed. If a Risk Owner, designate the Risk Focal Point and certify that the annual risk review is completed and ensure that the risk register is updated during the year, as needed.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level

For P5 – 12 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 11 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 10 years relevant experience with Doctorate degree

Field(s) of Education

Economics; Humanities; Journalism;

Languages; Law; Social Science; or other relevant field.

Certificates and/or Licenses

Not specified.

Essential

Relevant Job Experience

Substantial previous professional job experience relevant to the specific functions of an editor, with a minimum 5 years’ experience in managing the processing of reports/publications and coaching staff. Excellent diplomatic and organizational skills. Meticulous attention to detail, pragmatic approach to work and a positive attitude.

Desirable

Good understanding of the workings of UNHCR, its governance structure and key stakeholders. Familiarity with reporting, editing and publications within the United Nations system or the international humanitarian aid arena.

Functional Skills

• CO-Drafting and Documentation
• CO-Editing
• CO-Publication skills
• MG-Diplomacy
• TR-Training – Virtual and face to face

UN-UNHCR governance and organizational structure at HQ and in the field

(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements

For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.

For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.

For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

Competency Requirements

All jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and may also require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.

Core Competencies

Accountability

Communication

Organizational Awareness

Teamwork & Collaboration

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Client & Result Orientation

Managerial Competencies

Empowering and Building Trust

Judgement and Decision Making

Leadership

Managing Performance

Managing Resources

Strategic Planning and Vision

Cross-Functional Competencies

Analytical Thinking

Innovation and Creativity

Political Awareness

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

Desired Candidate Profile

The candidate selected for this position must possess solid expertise in drafting and editing official documents and producing communications for donors and other key partners, together with a thorough knowledge of donor relations and resource mobilization issues related to the work of UNHCR. S/he should be able to liaise with, guide and coach colleagues at Headquarters, as well as field-based colleagues, on issues related to the content, style and consistency of messaging for all communications produced by the Global Appeals and Reports Section. The incumbent of the post should also be able to select and monitor external consultancy arrangements with editors, translators, designers and printers.

In addition, this post requires the following specific skills and experience:

Editorial and linguistic expertise:

A thorough command of the English language and the ability to guide and coach other colleagues in effective written communications, including the establishment of editorial standards, are essential skills. The candidate should be able to advise and guide colleagues on how to re-package internal reports for an external audience. Experience in facilitation/training would be an advantage. Proficiency in French is important in order to be able to monitor the production of the French versions of the Global Appeal and Global Report.

Knowledge of UNHCR and key stakeholder issues:

It is expected that the candidate will be thoroughly familiar with UNHCR – in particular with COMPASS, the new results-based management system – and its role in the overall United Nations system. S/he will understand the kind of information that UNHCR’s major stakeholders are asking for and be able to guide and coach colleagues to adjust the content and focus of different communication vehicles accordingly.

Analytical and strategic thinking:

The incumbent will be responsible for helping develop a more consistent corporate approach to UNHCR’s internal and external messages on fund raising and donor relations in collaboration with other DER services such as DRRM and Private Sector Partnerships, as well as with other Divisions, in particular with the Division of Strategic Planning and Results, with the Global Data Service and with Governance Service. This will include analysing appeals and reports in relation to evolving communication needs and developing strategies to ensure accurate, coherent and consistent messages on UNHCR’s work.

Innovation and creativity:

With the development of new technology communication tools and web portals (e.g. COMPASS, the Results Data Portal, the operational data portals, the Refugee Data Finder, AI software) for communicating information to donors and other key stakeholders, the incumbent will be expected to seek and implement innovative solutions for improving the content and presentation of appeals and reports, as organizational needs and opportunities evolve.

Political awareness:

A highly tuned sense of political awareness and an understanding of protocol issues are essential for performing this function, and are critical for the organizing of the annual pledging conference, which is a UN General Assembly-mandated event. The Global Appeal and Global Report are official publications that are used by UNHCR’s Executive Committee members and other key stakeholders to assess the organization’s performance and delivery of results. UNHCR’s credibility and ability to mobilize resources from its main donors are therefore dependent on the presentation of accurate, high quality information, packaged in an appropriate, politically sensitive way for a wide range of readers.

Interpersonal, organizational and diplomatic skills:

The incumbent needs to be able to lead, support and motivate a team of external relations officers and other staff in managing multiple demands related to the production of appeals and reports with other DER sections, the Bureaux, other Divisions at HQ and field operations, as well as with external stakeholders. S/he needs to have well-established internal/external networks in order to obtain required information/resolve problems efficiently and effectively, and to know how to communicate diplomatically on highly sensitive issues with external parties.

Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level):

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Desired languages

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Operational context

Nature of Position:

The Chief of the Global Appeals and Reports Section acts as chief editor and manager of the team of external relations officers who produce UNHCR’s flagship annual publications, the Global Appeal and Global Report, as well as other supplementary and special appeals as required throughout the year such as those for underfunding and for flexible funding, and liaising closely with the team producing the Global Trends report. S/he is also responsible for overseeing the process development and ensuring quality control of the content of information posted on the Global Focus website (https://reporting.unhcr.org). The Chief also liaises closely with Governance Service and Donor Relations and Resource Mobilization Service to organize the annual pledging conference for UNHCR in December of each year, at which the Global Appeal is formally presented to Member States.

Skills

Additional Qualifications

Education

Bachelor of Arts (BA): Economics, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Humanities, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Journalism, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Languages, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Law, Bachelor of Arts (BA): Social Science

Certifications

Work Experience

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Empowering & building trust, Innovation & creativity, Judgement & decision making, Leadership, Managing performance, Managing resource, Organizational awareness, Political awareness, Strategic planning & visions, Teamwork & collaboration

UNHCR Salary Calculator

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Add. 2 to Bi-annual Compendium 2023 – Part B

Additional Information

Functional clearance

This position doesn’t require a functional clearance